1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a tiltable tray assembly for storing and displaying articles and the like and, more particularly, it relates to a tiltable tray assembly for storing and displaying articles and the like which stores various articles and displays the various articles on a supporting surface in either a substantially horizontal relationship to the surface or at a predetermined angle relative to the surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tray systems for storing and displaying items and utensils are known in the prior art. Unfortunately, the tray systems of the prior art merely stores and displays the items and utensils in a substantially horizontal position relative to the supporting surface upon which the tray system is rested. The user of the tray system continually has to strain and bend to view the contents of the tray system. Over a period of time, the user of the tray system will become fatigued and exhausted by the strain and duress of having to locate items and utensils within the tray system. None of the tray systems adequately store the items and utensils and then display the items and utensils to minimize and inhibit fatigue and exhaustion and to increase the ease of access to the items and utensils within the tray system by the user.
The above is particularly true for tray systems used for light assembly, i.e., sewing operations. Typically, these tray systems have been positioned on a supporting surface in a flat horizontal position. The horizontal placement generally causes the operator to retain a difficult body position in order to view, locate, and retrieve an item for use in assembly. For example, when a sewing operator is sewing, he or she is in a stationary seating position and needs to lead awkwardly to one side at an uncomfortable angle for the neck, wrist, and shoulder, to retrieve materials and tools. Often, lie or she will need to stand up to see the tool area or assume an ergonomically incorrect and uncomfortable seating position. Injury can occur after repetitive movements resulting in wrist, neck, or shoulder injury.
Currently, an increased awareness of ergonomic and body friendly workstations exists in many industries. In fact, may professional seamstresses, other sewing operators, and assembly workers suffer from muscular and skeletal problems of the neck, shoulders, back, hips, wrists, and other body parts due to poor ergonomic posture and operational working positions at their workstation. The operator's posture is constrained by the visual limitations of the sewing workstation. For the sewing machine operator, as in other professions, it is important to provide a correct ergonomic work station for better vision of the materials need to work with, more physical comfort often resulting in better productivity and worker longevity.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a tiltable tray assembly for storing and displaying articles and the like which selectively securely maintains the articles within the system during the storage mode. Additionally, there exists a need for a tiltable tray assembly for storing and displaying articles and the like which during a displaying mode allows the articles to be displayed on a surface at either a substantially horizontal relationship to the surface or at a predetermined angle relative to the surface to increase correct ergonomic posture of the user. Furthermore, there exists a need for a tiltable tray assembly for storing and displaying articles and the like which is compartmentalized for allowing various articles to be stored within the tray assembly while maintaining each distinct article separate from each and every other article.